First there was Intervention…now Relapse.

When will see a show about Recovery in all its glory? THAT would be the most noteworthy and revealing of the entire franchise if we ever get to see it. This is not a rallying cry for the recovering community, it’s a tribal shout for all of humankind to move past the aching and shameful glorification and commercializing of so much of what is thrown up on TV these days.

Want to see teen moms exploited to the point that that it’s culturally desirable to be a troubled, unprepared mother? Hey why not? You get paid AND you get your picture on the cover of a supermarket tabloid. The new A & E series Relapse is a half doc, half reality show about relapsing addicts and alcoholics and the sober coaches who try to throw them one last lifeline.

Here is an NPR story about the show and also some links to A & E material so you can see for yourself.

Anyway, the show premiered earlier this week and I got to thinking, Why can’t we show the stories of how these people sobered up and STAYED sober and concentrate on HELPING PEOPLE instead of glorifying the saddest and least redemptive sides of the drug/alcohol experience. How f****d up can it get when we turn on the TV to see tragic stories of teen moms, junkies, 600-pound people. Instead of focusing on the ways to get well, we focus on the perceived entertainment of the human train wreck. I know there is an audience for that,  but it’s not me.

If you need help, the website below is a great place to start. 
http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov